Sangmeister Weighs Run For Congress

May 22, 1986|By Steve Neal, Political writer.

State Sen. George Sangmeister (D., Mokena), the Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor who was upset in the March primary by a follower of political eccentric Lyndon LaRouche, is being pushed by state and national party leaders to replace a former aide as the party`s candidate for the congressional seat being vacated by retiring U.S. Rep. George O`Brien (R., Ill.)

``I`ve been deluged with phone calls,`` Sangmeister acknowledged Wednesday. Sangmeister, whose Senate term expires in January, did not rule out the possibility of becoming a candidate for Congress. But he said he would not ask his former legislative assistant, Shawn Collins, to step aside.

O`Brien, 68, a Joliet Republican who has held the seat since 1972, withdrew as a candidate for re-election last week for health reasons. O`Brien, who was re-elected with 64 percent of the vote in 1984, had been a strong favorite to win an eighth term over Collins, 28, the Democratic candidate, who is a University of Chicago law school student.

State Sen. Vincent Demuzio, Illinois Democratic chairman, and State Senate President Philip Rock (D., Oak Park) are among the prominent Democrats who have urged Sangmeister to consider running for Congress. They argue that the veteran legislator would have a much better chance of winning in the GOP district than Collins.

In 1982, Sangmeister won re-election to the state Senate with more than 70 percent of the vote. In the March primary, however, he lost the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor to LaRouche candidate Mark Fairchild.

State Sen. Aldo DeAngelis (R., Olympia Fields), State Rep. Jack Davis

(R., New Lenox) and former U.S. Rep. Edward Derwinski of Flossmoor are the leading Republican contenders to succeed O`Brien. Will County State`s Atty. Ed Petka also is seeking the nomination. The candidate will be selected by the weighted vote of township and precinct committeemen in the district.

Demuzio said that if Sangmeister replaced Collins as the party`s nominee for Congress, it probably would enhance Democratic candidate Thomas Dunne`s prospects of gaining Sangmeister`s State Senate seat and would help other Democratic candidates in the collar counties.

``Obviously George would be our strongest candidate because of his name recognition and his proven record of success in that district,`` Demuzio said. ``It`s certainly in the interests of the Democratic Party for local party leaders and interested parties to sit down and discuss all the options.``

``It`s a throwaway race for the Democrats unless Sangmeister is the candidate,`` said a Democratic political strategist, who asked not to be identified.

``Collins is a nice kid, but he doesn`t have a chance,`` said a Chicago area Democratic congressman, who requested anonymity. ``Sangmeister is the kind of guy who could win in the 4th District because of his law-and-order stand on the issues and his appeal to blue-collar voters.``

Not all Democratic leaders are pushing for Collins to step aside. State Rep. Frank Giglio (D., Calumet City), one of the district`s most prominent Democratic officials, has told associates that Collins could be competitive against a non-incumbent Republican. Martin Gleason, a Sangmeister associate who is managing Collins` campaign, predicted Tuesday that Collins could pull an upset and that Sangmeister would not make the race.